Stearman and Cub Training In WA

stearmann4

stearmann4

Pre-Flight
Joined
Sep 29, 2012
Messages
64
Location
Olympia, WA
Display Name
stearmann4
Home Airfield
K49WA
Guys,

Just wanted to introduce myself and let you know that we have a beautiful 100hp J-3 Cub and stock Stearman (N2S-3) available for rides, and dual instruction for just about any type of training you can think of; tailwheel endorsements, spin training, basic aerobatics, formation, and insurance checkouts.

If you really want a unique experience, we have an arrangement with the adjacent museum (Olympic Flight Museum) to where you can fly an hour of J-3, hour of Stearman, followed by a T-6 and finally a P-51. it's not cheap, but within a day you can go through a compressed syllabus to see what it was like for WWII cadets to go from Civilian Pilot Training screening, to primary, advanced and on to a Mustang.

The website is more or less complete, some tweaking and additions still to be done, but feel free to take a look.

Mike-

www.silverwingsflying.com
 
And KOLM is a great airport to fly out of. Yeah, I'm biased being based there, but... :D

On a nice day (we do get them) the views are fantastic.
 
Do you offer solo rentals after checkout?
 
Dave,

Unfortunately solo insurance for the Stearman is unbelievably expensive. There's one company in Hunstville, AL that does it but I have no idea how.

Spencer Aircraft in Puyallup (Thun Field KPLU) does offer their J-3 for solo rental for a few more dollars and hour than I charge.

Mike-
 
Oh man!!! I so wish you were closer to me! I've spent couple hours in a Stearman and would love to get some instruction.:mad:
 
stearmann4 said:
Dave,

Unfortunately solo insurance for the Stearman is unbelievably expensive. There's one company in Hunstville, AL that does it but I have no idea how.

Spencer Aircraft in Puyallup (Thun Field KPLU) does offer their J-3 for solo rental for a few more dollars and hour than I charge.

Mike-
Click to expand...

Mike,
I'm glad to see that you can at least offer check outs. There's an airport near me that used to offer solo flights after being checked out in Stearmans, Tigermoth, Cub, Great Lakes, Decathlon and Aeronca. They had varying minimum times and minimum tail wheel time requirements too. All those planes are gone now. One thing they did that helped with their insurance was to limit solo flights to their airport. No landings permitted at any other fields. Might be worth considering.
 
I've considered getting another Cub or Champ and putting it out for solo rental, but probably not the Stearman.

You just can't charge enough to cover the insurance and liability, and there's a very small demographic of pilots who can afford to pay $350/hr for the 10 hours of dual required for a checkout, as well as fly frequently enough to not be a liability. All within the constraints of the PNW's 4 months of tenable open cockpit weather.

I've seen it at several other airports, a guy guy with a taildragger (Cub, Citabria, C-140) puts it out on the line because a dozen pilots said "I'll fly the wings off that thing if you rent it". When it finally comes available it doesn't fly enough to cover the extra insurance, and when it does it gets ground looped in the first 6 months, sometimes multiple incidents.

Mike-
 
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stearmann4 said:
All within the constraints of the PNW's 4 months of tenable open cockpit weather.
Click to expand...

4 months? You are hardier than I am. 6 weeks in a normal year might be closer to the mark. Don't base your weather estimates on this summer. That was very unusual. :D
 
Ghery said:
4 months? You are hardier than I am
Click to expand...

The open cockpit is bearable down to the mid to high 40s', so I'll consider the flying season to be from the middle of May, to the end of September +/- on any given summer. Although you get spoiled in July and August flying in a T-shirt!

Mike-
 
stearmann4 said:
The open cockpit is bearable down to the mid to high 40s', so I'll consider the flying season to be from the middle of May, to the end of September +/- on any given summer. Although you get spoiled in July and August flying in a T-shirt!

Mike-
Click to expand...

I'll have to save up some extra pennies and walk over from Charlie hangar and go fly with you sometime next year. I think I still have your flyer that I picked up at Jorgensen. :D
 
Please post your insurance reqs for the stearman, I'd love to take my dad up (he used to own one). If someone has significant tailwheel time, heavy tailwheel time (650 AG-cat) is there a chance of qualifying for a open pilot policy?
 
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